Lentil and Cotechino Soup

Cotechino, traditionally served with lentils or with turnips fermented in red wine, is a Lombardian sausage from Modena but is eaten all over northern Italy in the winter.

Can be found at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market (Franco Dunn) on Saturday mornings this month.

Ingredients:
1 pound cotechino sausage
2 quarts water
2 cloves garlic, whole
¼ cup olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
3 stalks celery, diced

1 yellow onion, diced
4 T tomato paste
1 red Italian chile (or large pinch chili flakes)
1 bay leaf
2 T chopped rosemary
2 T chopped sage
small pinch ground coriander and cumin (optional, for extra flavor)
1 pound Umbrian lentils

Poke a few holes in the cotechino sausage with a fork. Over medium-low heat, cook the cotechino and bay leaf in 2 quarts water, simmering for 45 minutes. Remove the cotechino and reserve, keeping the sausage-infused water it was cooked in. Once the cotechino sausage is cooled, remove the outer casing. Cut the sausage in ½-inch medallions and then quarter each medallion.

Meanwhile, in a larger pot, saute the garlic and olive oil. Remove the garlic before it browns and add the rest of the vegetables. Saute the vegetables until soft and then add the tomato paste, red chili and the herbs. Cook for another few minutes, stirring constantly and being careful not to burn the tomato paste. Then add the lentils, cotechino water and chopped cotechino sausage. Bring soup to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, adding water as necessary and cooking until the lentils are soft but not falling apart. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finish with grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 6